Copy holder



'Feb. 21, 1967 E 3,304,:317 v COPY HOLDER Filed July 14, 1965 I INVENTOR l [AM/v.8 Vl/vcz-wr United States l atent O 3,304,917 COPY HOLDER Edwin B. Vincent, East Norwich, N.Y., assignor to Presto-Line Corporation of America, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed July 14, 1565, Ser. No. 471,885 4 (Claims. (Cl. 12032) This invention relates to copy holders for presenting line-by-line source data to the view of the operator of a typewriter or other data handling desk machine to be copied or entered in the desk machine.

Such copy holder is commonly used as an adjunct of a printing desk machine, for example, a typewriter, which requires manual insertion of a work sheet from above for advance to printing osition. The copy holder has a head for holding a source data sheet in l-inereading position facing the operator of the desk machine. Ideally, this reading position and the printing position of the desk machine should be the same viewing distance from the operator. To approach this ideal, the copy holder head should be vertically above and close to the printing position. The difficulty then is that the copy holder is in the way when a work sheet is to be inserted into the desk machine.

An object of the invention is to solve the mentioned difficulty by providing the copy holder with a top, i.e., copy holder head and support means therefor overhanging the desk machine, which can be quickly moved up from the optimum reading position to clear the way for insertion of a work sheet into the desk machine and quickly returned to the same reading position after the work sheet has been inserted.

An object is to provide a copy holder characterized by a flip-top copy-holder head and support means therefor which can be quickly flipped back from a given reading position over the desk machine and quickly flipped forward to return to the same reading position.

An object is to provide, in a copy holder which has an upright framework reaching above the desk machine, a retractable top, i.e., copy holder head and support means therefore movably mounted on the upper end of the upright framework, which can be quickly retracted from a given reading position over the desk machine and quickly returned to the same reading position.

More specifically, theinvention involves a copy holder which includes an upright framework stationed behind and reaching above the desk machine and a copy holder head carried between a plurality of horizontally spaced arms which are pivotally mounted on the upper part of the upright frame-work to enable the arms to be swung upwardly and rearwardly from an extended position over the desk machine in order to move the copy-holder head bodily from a forward reading position to a rear idle position, the copy holder including stop means to limit the swing of the arms directionally and in extent for establishing the alternative reading and idle positions of the copy holder head.

Still more specifically, the mentioned upper part of the upright framework comprises a plurality of horizontally spaced arms rigidly cantilevered forwardly, the carrying arms for the copy-holder head being pivoted at their rear ends to the forward ends of the cantilevered arms, and the stop means comprising a stop element on one arm of each pivotally coupled pair of arms and two stop edges spaced on the other arm, the stop element abutting one of the stop edges when the copy-holder head is in reading position and abutting the other stop edge when the copy holder is in idle position, and the weight of the copy-holder head in each of its alternative positions being at that side of the pivot axis between the coupled arms for pressuring the stop element and thenabutted stop edge to maintain contact.

Preferably, the pivot between each cantilevered arm and the arm associated therewith is a pin which is headed at one end to engage a side of one of the arms, and has a stem passing freely through openings in the arms and threaded at the end to receive a retaining nut. The stop element consists of a cap screw threaded into the cantilevered arm and having its cap clamped against the retaining nut to inhibit turning of the nut.

Other objects and further features of novelty and invention will be pointed out or will occur to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In said drawings, which show, for illustrative purposes only, a preferred form of the invention:

FIG. 1 is a side view of copy holder, as associated, for example, with a typewriter, the retracted position of the copy-holder head and its supporting arms being shown in phantom outline;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the copy holder, with a top guide bail for the source-data sheet omitted from the copy-holder head to clarify the showing;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, exploded view of coupled arm elements of the copy holder and of parts carried by these arm elements; and

FIG. 4 shows, on a larger scale than that of FIG. 3, a fragmentary section on line 44 of FIG. 1.

In FIG. 1, W schematically represents a typewriter on a table or desk top T. The copy holder includes a base frame 10 having a base plate 10a resting on the desk top and providing a seat for the typewriter, the weight of which keeps the base frame firmly in place. Behind the typewriter is an upright framework including a pair of posts 11 rising from opposite side flanges of the base frame. Slidably adjustable on the posts are sleeves 12 carrying set screws 13 for fixing them in position on the posts. The upper ends of the sleeves 12 are secured in loops 14a of the upper part of the upright framework. This upper part consists of a generally U-shaped member with a back 14 and with a pair of similar, horizontally spaced side arms 15 rigidly cantilevered forwardly, and preferably'also upwardly, from the back 14, the arms also being sloped upwardly. Coupled with the pair of arms 15 is a pair of horizontally spaced support arms 16 for the copy holder head which is generally designated H in FIG. 1; arms 16 are preferably of substantially the length of arms 15, as shown. Each support arm 16 is pivotally mounted at its rear end on the forward end of the associated side arm 15 by means of a headed pivot pin 17, the stem of which passes freely through openings 15a and 16a (see FIG. 4) in the respective arms 15 and 16. The head of the pivot is against a side of the arm 16 and the stem end extends past the arm 15 and is threaded to receive a retaining nut 18. The portion of the stem of pivot 17 in the hole 16a is formed with a smooth bearing surface 17a (also see FIG. 3) for the arm 16. To prevent turning of the pivot in the hole 15a of the arm 15, the hole and the pivot stern are provided with complementary key means such as chordal flats. The nut 18 is tightened just enough to retain the pivot safely mounted in the arms 15 and 16 without inhibiting pivot-a1 movement of arm 16.

Stop means are provided to limit the pivotal movement of the arms 16 directionally and in extent. The stop means includes, for each pair of pivotally associated arms 15 and 16, a stop element 19 consisting of a cap screw threaded into a tapped hole 15b of the arm 15.

The stop element is interposed between a pair of spaced stop edges 16b and 16c formed on the rear end of the arm 16. These stop edges are substantially radial of the pivot 3 axis and at a right angle to each other, their alternative abutment with the stop element 19 fixing the angular range of pivotal movement of the arm 16. Abutment of stop edge 1611 with stop element 19 establishes the lower end of the pivotal movement, the arm 16 then extending forwardly and upwardly in substantial alignment with the associated arm 15. From this position, the arm 16 may be moved only upwardly and rearwardly to a retracted position established by the abutment of the edge 16c with the stop element 19, the retracted position being indicated in dot-dash in FIG. 1. The stop screw element 19 is long "enough so that a part thereof such as its cap may be in interfering relation with rotation of pivot retainer nut 18, as by setting the same against the pivot retainer nut 18 to clamp it against accidental turning.

The copy holder head H is mounted on bushings 2%) which are carried by the free, front ends of the two arms 16. Each bushing 21 is headed and has a stem with a smooth circular bearing portion 20a just below the bushing head and followed by a threaded length. The threaded length passes freely through a front opening 21 in the arm 16 while the circular bearing portion is too large to pass into the opening and stops against the inner side of the arm 16. Complementary flats of the threaded bushing length and the opening 21 prevent turning of the bushing in the opening. The threaded length projects past the outer side of arm 16 to receive a clamping and retaining nut 22.

The copy holder head is a wide structure adapted to be positioned in the width horizontally crosswise over the desk machine. The copy holder head has a construction and is mounted on the bushings 20 in accordance with the disclosure in application Ser. No. 407,798, filed October 20, 1964. Briefly, it includes a face plate 23 which extends along the front of the head and has a right-angularly bentback left end (as viewed in FIG. 2) provided with a smooth opening fitting around the bearing portion 20a of the bushing 20 carried by the left hand arm 16. Tightening of the retainer nut 22 on this bushing clamps the bent left end of the face plate between the bushing head and the adjacent side of the left hand arm 16. The face plate 23 is suitably fastened at the right to the front of a housing 24 containing line space mechanism (not shown) associated with a platen shaft 25. The wall of the housing 24 adjacent the right hand arm 16 is provided with a smooth opening fitting around the bearing portion 20a of the bushing 20 carried by this arm and is clamped between the head of the bushing and the latter arm by tightening of the nut 22. Platen shaft 25 is journalled in the smooth bores of the two bushings 20 and its ends accessibly carry knobs 25a to enable the operator to turn the shaft. In normal operation of the copy holder, the platen shaft is line spaced by the mechanism in housing 24 through intervals determined by selecting means which includes a selection knob 26 outside the housing. The line space gearing, the line space interval selecting means between the gearing and the knob 26, and the means for effecting a step of actuation of the gearing through'the selected interval may be, for example, such as shown in the mentioned application and are not shown here since they are not part of the present invention.

Fixed to the platen shaft 25 are platen rolls 27 which protrude through openings in face plate 23 for coacting with pressure rolls 23 in holding a source data sheet D between them. The pressure rolls are mounted, in known fashion, in a pressure bail 29 having side arms 30 fixed on the opposite ends of rod 31 which is journalled between the right hand wall of housing 24 and the bent back left end of the face plate 23, suitable means (not shown) being provided for biasing the bail toward the platen. The side arms 30 of the bail are formed with finger pieces 32 by which the operator may retract the bail to facilitate the insertion of a data sheet D. The sheet D is guided above the platen by the usual guide bail 33 and is led below the platen over the curved upper portion of a plate 34 mounted to the sleeves 12 of the upright framework of the copy holder. A line-indexing straight edge member 35 is provided across the top of the bail 29 to indicate the line of the data sheet D in reading position.

In the preferred operative position of the copy holder head, it is vertically above and close to the printing position of the typewriter W. The viewing distance of the operator to the line reading position of the data sheet D held against the front of the copy holder head is then substantially the same as the viewing distance of the operator to the line of a work sheet R in printing position at the front of typewriter platen P. The work sheet is insertable into the typewriter from above. Such insertion is obstructed, made difficult and awkward by the copy holder top, i.e., head H and support arms 16 therefor, when the copy holder top is in its forward, operative position. Accordingly, when a work sheet R is to be inserted into the typewriter, the operator will first flip the copy holder back to its retracted position, shown in dot-dash lines in FIG. 1. This action involves upward and rearward pivotal movement of the arms 16 from their forwardly extended and substantially aligned relation with the frame arms 15 to an upwardly and rearwardly angled relation where the stop edges 160 on the arms 16 abut the stop elements 19 carried by the arms 15.

The weight of the copy holder head is then rearward of the pivots 17 between the arms 15 and 16 and stabilizes the copy holder top in its retracted position, pressuring the stop edges 16c to maintain contact with the stop elements 19. To return the copy holder top to the predetermined operative position, the operator flips the copy holder top forwardly. This involves forward and downward swinging of the arms 16 back to their extended position in which the stop edges 16b abut the stop elements 19. The weight of the copy holder head is then forward of the pivots 17 and stabilizes the copy holder top in its operative position, pressuring the stop edges 16b to maintain contact with the stop elements 19. Preferably the limited angular movement of arms 16 is at least no greater than substantially whereby in its idle position the copy holder head will be stored in an elevated position substantially contained within the space above and forward of the upright framework 11, thus assuring convenient operation when the machine W is backed to a wall.

Although I have described the invention in detail in connection with the preferred form shown, it will be understood that modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims which follow.

I claim:

1. A copy holder to present line-by-line source data on a data sheet to the view of the operator of a desk machine, such as a typewriter or other data utilization desk machine, to be copied or entered in the desk machine; the copy holder having a head provided with means, including a face plate and a platen, to hold the data sheet in line-indexed exposed position at the front of the head, an upright framework to be stationed behind the desk machine and to reach above the height of the desk machine, a pair of horizontally spaced first arms rigidly cantilevered forwardly and upwardly from the extremes of width of the upright framework, a pair of horizontally spaced second arms respectively associated with the first arms, the second arms bodily carrying between their free, front ends the copy holder head, swivel connections between the rear ends of the second arms and the forward ends of the first arms to enable the second arms to be swung through an upward and rearward angle from a forwardly and upwardly extended relation generally aligned with the first arms to a retracted relation, thereby to displace the copy holder head bodily from a forward, operative data viewable position to a rear, idle position, and stop elements between the associated first and second arms for limiting the swinging movement of the second arms to the aforesaid angle, so as to establish the alternative operative and idle positions of the copy holder head, said first arms being of substantially the length of said second arms, and said angle being limited by said stop elements to at least no greater than substantially 90, whereby in its idle position the copy holder head will be stored in an elevated position substantially contained within the space above and forward of said upright framework.

2. A copy holder according to claim 1, in which each couple of pivotally associated first and second arms has on one arm a pair of spaced stop edges and on the other arm a stop element intervening between the stop edges, one stop edge and the stop element being in abutment to establish the operative position of the copy holder head and held in contact with each other by the weight of the copy holder head forwardly of the pivot axis, and the other stop edge and the stop element abutting each other to establish the alternative idle position of the copy holder head and held engaged with each other by the weight of the head then rearward of the pivot axis.

3. A copy holder according to claim 1, in which each couple of pivotally connected side and second arms has on one arm first and second stop edges angularly spaced through an angle determinative of the angle of pivotal movement of the second arms and has on the other arm of the couple a stop stud radially distant from the pivot between the couple and located between the first and second stop edges, the first and second stop edges alternatively abutting the stop stud to establish the alternative operative and idle positions of the copy holder head, the weight of the head in operative position keeping the first 83 stop edge engaged with the stop stud, and the weight of the head in idle position keeping the second stop edge engaged with the stop stud.

4. A copy holder according to claim 3, in which each pivotal connection of a first arm with its associated second arm includes a headed pivot pin with a stem passing through pivot openings in said associated arms, said stem having threads on the other end and projecting beyond said pivot openings, a nut engaging said threads and retaining the pivoted connection of said associated arms, said stern having keyed engagement with one of said associated arms, and in which said stop stud is carried by said one associated arm and includes a part in interfering relation with rotation of said nut, thereby retaining an adjusted setting of said nut regardless of the number or frequency of pivoted operations of said arms.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,570,744 1/1926 Homan 32 1,640,121 8/1927 Gleeson 120-30 1,700,629 1/1929 Douglas 120 31 X 2,068,894 1/1937 Talley 120 -32 2,833,499 5/1958 Lysedahl 120-28 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,020,901 11/1952 France.

680,665 9/1939 Germany.

LAWRENCE CHARLES, Primary Examiner. 

1. A COPY HOLDER TO PRESENT LINE-BY-LINE SOURCE DATA ON A DATA SHEET TO THE VIEW OF THE OPERATOR OF A DESK MACHINE, SUCH AS A TYPEWRITER OR OTHER DATA UTILIZATION DESK MACHINE, TO BE COPIED OR ENTERED IN THE DESK MACHINE; THE COPY HOLDER HAVING A HEAD PROVIDED WITH MEANS, INCLUDING A FACE PLATE AND A PLATEN, TO HOLD THE DATA SHEET IN LINE-INDEXED EXPOSED POSITION AT THE FRONT OF THE HEAD, AN UPRIGHT FRAMEWORK TO BE STATIONED BEHIND THE DESK MACHINE AND TO REACH ABOVE THE HEIGHT OF THE DESK MACHINE, A PAIR OF HORIZONTALLY SPACED FIRST ARMS RIGIDLY CANTILEVERED FORWARDLY AND UPWARDLY FROM THE EXTREMES OF WIDTH OF THE UPRIGHT FRAMEWORK, A PAIR OF HORIZONTALLY SPACED SECOND ARMS RESPECTIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH THE FIRST ARMS, THE SECOND ARMS BODILY CARRYING BETWEEN THEIR FREE, FRONT ENDS THE COPY HOLDER HEAD, SWIVEL CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE REAR ENDS OF THE SECOND ARMS AND THE FORWARD ENDS OF THE FIRST ARMS TO ENABLE THE SECOND ARMS TO BE SWUNG THROUGH AN UPWARD AND REARWARD ANGLE FROM A FORWARDLY AND UPWARDLY EXTENDED RELATION GENERALLY ALIGNED WITH THE FIRST ARMS TO A RETRACTED RELATION, THEREBY TO DISPLACE THE COPY HOLDER HEAD BODILY FROM A FORWARD, OPERATIVE DATA VIEWABLE POSITION TO A REAR, IDLE POSITION, AND STOP ELEMENTS BETWEEN THE ASSOCIATED FIRST AND SECOND ARMS FOR LIMITING THE SWINGING MOVEMENT OF THE SECOND 